Hot material vending machine



Nov. 28, 1950 o. c. STOVER 2,532,204

HOT MATERIAL VENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l u L! 151+ Im INVENTOR. Ufmari C. szover BY M22 fr Nov. 28, 1950 o. c. STOVER HOT MATERIAL VENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, v 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR.

arm an C. (YD/er Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOT MATERIA IZ iZzEING MACHINE Orman G. Stover, Waterloo, Iowa 1'7 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a vending machine, and is more particularly concerned with a coin-operated machine which is adapted to dispense peanuts and the like. It comprises means within a base-housing for heating the peanuts while contained in successively rotating compartments preliminary to discharge in a warmed or toasted condition, without, however, measurably heating the remaining peanuts which are contained in a hopper and in a reservoir thereabove.

An important object of the invention is to provide a hopper which is insulated and spaced from the rotating discharge compartments so that heating of the peanuts will be confined to those which are about to be discharged. A further ob- ,ject of the invention is to mount the main operating parts upon and within a supporting basehousing by means of a single bolt which clamps together the main operating parts, some of which are mounted within the base and others on the top of the base. Another object of the invention is to locate the inner end of a coin chute in a separately locked compartment within the base to discharge coins thereinto, together with an operating arm extending therefrom to actuate the rotating discharge member;

Other objects of the invention are to provide in the base an illuminated jewel for attracting attention to the machine, to limit the successive movements of the rotating compartment member, to provide a connecting bolt and other parts which will be protected from corrosion by salt from the nuts, to mount the display jar for easy removal from a crown which surmounts the base, and in general to produce an improved machine having the special features herein shown and described.

A suggestive embodiment of my invention is set forth in the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure l is a front elevation of the vending machine in its entirety;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View as taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in cross-section, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the several units of the machine, with portions broken away to exhibit certain parts which otherwise would remain hidden from view;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the coin receiver;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the spring holder or detent for the rotor; and

Fig. 9 is a top View of the rotor.

While heated or toasted nuts are commonly sold in bulk, it has heretofore been considered impractical for a vending machine to dispense them in a heated condition. In the present machine, a small electric heating coil is utilized to heat only a small portion of the nuts in a compartmentecl rotor which receives the nuts from a hopper; the rotor which is advanced step by step discharges the nuts from its compartments in suc-. cession as the coin receiver is operated; and an insulating air chamber separates the hopper from the rotary compartment member so that heat does not pass through the mechanism into a supply jar. Peanuts contained in the jar are accordingly safeguarded against deterioration due to moisture and condensation when current in the heating coil is switched on and off for any length of time.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I use a supporting base B which is composed of a thin shell of metal open at the top and bottom to provide a substantially enclosed housing which may be polygonal, as shown. At the top is an inwardly extending flange I I having three recesses 12 for attaching the other parts. At the bottom is a closure plate It with a lip 14 at one side for seating the plate in a recess l5 within the base; at the opposite side is a look It controlled by a key I! for rotating a tumbler it to which an arm I9 is connected, movable into engagement with a locking notch 20. At the bottom of the plate are a number of rubber bumpers 2! upon which the machine is supported.

In one of the sides of the base, a jewel 22 is inserted, preferably of colored glass which may be illuminated by a small electric lamp 23 within the base. This attracts attention to the machine and also may indicate that the contents of the machine is heated. In another angular side is a coin receiver 24, secured to the base by an outer plate 25. In another adjacent side is an outlet 26 comprising a raisable hinged lid 21.

The coin receiver 24 comprises a slide 28 having a coin opening 29 therein and an arm 30 substantially U-shaped with one side attached at the inner extremity thereof. Connected to the other side of the arm is a spring wire 3! having an offset portion 32 with a hook 33 at the extremity thereof. The particular coin receiver forms no part of the present invention, but it operates in a conventional way. When moved inwardly, the slide stops short of an op- 3 crating position if there be no coin in the slide, but when a proper coin is seated in the opening 29 the slide may advance further to discharge the coin near the end of its operative movement.

Within the base is a coin compartment formed by an angular partition 34 extending across one portion of the base and secured thereto, with a closure 35 at the bottom seated at one side between projections 36 and 31 on the partition 34, and having a lock 38 accessible from the outside of the closure when the bottom closure plate i3 is removed. This lock 38 has a locking member 39 moveable into engagement with a notch 40 in a rib 4| projecting inwardly from the base. The coin compartment is arranged to accommodate the inner end of the coin slide 23 so that any money received thereby may be deposited directly in the receptacle. One side of the partition 34 has a slot 42 through which the U-shaped arm 30 extends for free movement in a direction lengthwise of the slide, the upper or free extremity of the-arm extending over the top of the partition 34. With this construction, the coins are deposited directly in the compartment which protects them from contact with salt usually contained with the nuts so that the coins do not become corroded.

At the top of the base-housing is a stationary head H having a downwardly extending outer flange 43, a central downwardly extending bearing boss 44, and outwardly extending projections 45ofiset downwardly from the top of the head substantially thethickness or" the flange H at the top of the base-housing. The diameter of the top of the head is such that it will fit within the opening at the top of the base-housing, the projections 45 extending below the recesses l2 and limiting the upward movement or" the head so that its top is held flush with the top of the base-housing.

Seated within the head H and supported centrally upon the bearing boss 44 thereof is a compartmented rotor R. This rotor has a central depending bearing boss 46 rotatable upon the bearing boss 44 and has a downwardly and outwardly flaring flange 4.1 with vertical radiating ribs 48 at the outer side. The vertical edges of these ribs extend upwardly from the outer periphery of the flange 41 to fit within the flange 43 of the head H. As herein shown, the rotor is provided with fourteen partitions 18 which divide the space into fourteen compartments, and at the under side of the flange 47 are ratchet teeth 49 corresponding in number and position to the compartments formed by the partitions 48. In the top of the head H is an opening 56 at one side, over the tops of the compartments formed by the partitions 48 in the rotor R below so that nuts may be gravity-discharged from above into the compartments as the rotor is revolved.

In the flange 43 at a point which is remote from an opening 50 in the top of the head H, is a discharge opening 5! above the. outlet 26 in the base B. Between the opening and the outlet, is extended a chute 52 which fits closely against the inner wall of the base-housing, so that when any compartment of the rotor is disposed opposite the opening 5! the contents of that compartment will slide down the outer inclined wall of the rotor through the opening 5] and down the chute 52 intothe discharge outlet 26."

In order to retain the rotor in position to discharge the contents of only one compartment ioreach coin. inserted, I employ a spring lock 53 in the form of a bent rod or wire having one extremity 5 3 seated in a boss 35 projecting from the flange 43. A rounded bent portion 56 is adapted to extend through an opening 57 at the lower edge of the flange 43 with a notch 53 adapted to en age each of the partitions it as they are moved past the lock to prevent reverse movement of the rotor. The rounded portion 5% of the spring lock extends between adjacent partitions 48 to hold the rotor yieldingly in a predetermined place. Adjacent its free end the lock 53 is formed with a U-shaped projection 59 to extend around the lower edges of the flanges 43 and 4'? of the head H rotor FL. respectively. One end of a spring 69 is connected to the free extremity of the lock 53, the other end of the springbeing connected to a plate 6| at the lower end of a common connecting bolt 62 which tends to hold the lock in proper engagement with the rotor R.

Within the baseehousing B the electric lamp 23 is supported by means of a two-way connector 53 mounted in a socket 54 supported by a bracket E5 connected to the partition 3d by fastening screws or bolts 66. In the other branch ofthe connector 63 is an electrical heating unit 61 which extends upwardly within the flange 41- of the rotor R. An electrical connector cord 68 extends from the socket 64 through the wall of the base B to carry a plug 69 at its outer end for making electrical connections. When the lamp is illuminated the light can be seen through the jewel 22, and when the heating element is energized the heat therefrom will pass upwardly within the rotor and through the same to heat the nuts contained in the compartments between the partitions 48. The heat is therefore closely confined by the rotor, so that the contents of the compartments are heated without transmission of any material heat therefrom through the head H thereabove.

Surmounting the base-housing is a crown C. The crown comprises an outer flange 10 which extends downwardly over an inwardly inclined portion 7! at the top of the base-housing, but preferably remains spaced therefrom so that air is free to pass between the crown and the top of the base at their peripheries. To support the crown C on the base B, three ribs 12 are extendedinwardly to register with the recesses I2 at the top of the base. These ribs are seated upon heat insulating blocks 13 (see Fig. 6) and the blocks in turn are seated in the recesses on top of the outward projections 45 near the top of the head H.

With this arrangement, an air chamber is provided which separates the crown C from the heated rotor R, and also from the head H so that practically no heat is conducted to the crown. The interior of the crown C' has an inclined surface '54 terminating in an opening 15 at one side directly over the opening 58 of the head H for discharging material by gravity into the pockets of the rotor R. The crown thus serves as a delivery hopper for the nuts that are to be fed to the rotor.

At the rear side of the crown is an inwardly extending flange 16 adapted to receive there under a projecting flange 11 of a reservoir which may be a jar 18 that is placed in inverted position thereunder. At the front of the crown is a rib 19 projecting outwardly and having therein a locking opening St. A plate 8| provided with a slot 82 is adapted to be set over the rib l9, andan. upper flange 83 formed on the plate 8| is adapted to grip the flange 1! of the jar 18 to cooperate with the rear flange T6 to lock the jar in position. The plate 8| is secured to the rib 19 by a lock 84 which has a locking member extending through the opening 80. At the top of the crown C, between the lower flange 1'! of the container jar, and the upper edge of the hopper, is a resilient gasket 85, preferably of rubber-like material, for seating and protecting the jar and substantially sealing its contents.

On top of the head H, and surrounding the opening 50 therethrough, a flexible gasket 86 of resilient or rubber-like material may be provided to seal the crown opening at this point so that material descending therethrough will not pass between the top of the head H and the bottom of the crown. At the inner edge of the opening 59, and in the direction of rotation of the rotor R therein, a ledge 31 may be provided as a leveler for the contents of the compartments as they are moved in that direction.

In assembling this machine, the head H and the rotor R are located below the top of the basehousing and the crown C is positioned above the top of the base. These parts are clamped together by the single connecting bolt 62 which extends centrally through the parts from the top downwardly with a washer 38 between the head of the bolt and the top of the crown. The plate 6| is mounted at the bottom of the bolt between the lower end of the bearing boss M and a washer 8B which is engaged by a nut 99 threaded on the bolt for clamping the parts together. This bolt is desirably made of non-corrosive material, or is coated with a non-corrosive covering so as not to be affected by salt that is ordinarily present with the nuts. Thus the crown C clampingly engages the top of the base B, through the insulating blocks 13 and the ribs 12, and the head H engages the under side of the top flange II, thus holding all of the parts tightly together when the nut 90 is advanced on the bolt 62 or vice versa. With this construction, the jar 3 containing the nuts may be removed for purposes of cleaning or for replenishing the supply of nuts by simply removing the lock 84 and the plate 8| at the front of the machine. To service the lamp or the heating coil, or any of the parts within the base-housing, the bottom closure plate l3 may be removed by operation of the lock l6. Removal of the closure plate or the jar does not afford access to the coin compartment which may be opened only by operation of the lock 38 after the bottom closure plate It has first been removed.

The rotor R is here shown with fourteen compartments of which ten remain filled with nuts which are maintained in a heated condition ready for delivery. The other four compartments which are empty are successively filled as the rotor is revolved. Two of the compartments are concurrently exposed through the crown opening to the supply in the jar, and if a compartment is not filled in its first position, it will be completely filled as it is advanced. The rotor may be adjusted to a lower position by inserting a spacer between its top and the head H. This increases the capacity of all the compartments and the quantity of peanuts to be dispensed therefrom at each serving. It is thus possible to predetermine the quantity of nuts to be delivered with each operation.

The dispensing operation of the machine requires that a coin be inserted in the slide 28 which is then pushed inwardly to cause the hook 33 to engage one of the ratchets 19 whereby to advance the rotor one step. This brings the next filled compartment into register with the opening 5|.

' The contents of the compartment opposite this opening are then discharged by gravity down through the chute 52 and into the outlet 26 from which the peanuts fiow out when the hinged cover 2! is raised. This movement of the rotor is followed by the next compartment receiving a filling of nuts descending from above the crown.

While this machine is particularly described as applied to the dispensing of nuts which are more desirable when heated or toasted, it is apparent that it may also be used for dispensing other edibles. Use of the heating coil is, of course, optional, as is also energizing of the lamp 23.

While the construction of this machine has been described in some detail, it should be regarded as an illustration or example rather than a limitation or restriction of the invention, as various changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a vending machine, a hollow base, a compartment member rotatable in the base and hollow at the under side, means to rotate the memher, a hopper having a bottom plate: over the member with an opening therethrough to fill the compartments one at a time as the member is rotated, a stationary wall between the hopper and the member having an opening to register with the plate opening and the wall also extending downwardly to retain materials in the compartments, means to discharge the contents from the compartment member through the base, and an electric heating element located below the member in the base to heat the member and the contents of its compartments.

2. In a vending machine, a rotatable member having a downwardly and outwardly inclined flange with outer ribs forming compartments and recessed at the under side, a hopper having a bottom plate with an opening therethrough to feed materials into the compartments in succession, a stationary wall to retain materials in the compartments and having an inlet opening to register with the bottom plate opening and also a discharge opening, means to rotate the mel her to move materials from the hopper to the discharge opening, and a heating element in the recess of the rotatable member to heat the flange thereof and the materials in the compartments.

3. A hot nut vending machine, comprising a circular rotatable member having a downwardly inclined flange hollow at the under side and with upwardly extending ribs forming compartments at the outer side, hopper means having'a bottom plate with an opening therethrough to feed nuts to the compartments in succession as the member rotates, stationary means comprising a top plate with an opening to register with the bottom plate opening and with an outer flange extending downwardly from the top plate to confine the nuts in the compartments, a discharge chute leading through the stationary means, and a heating element below the member which is insulatingly enclosed by the stationary means to heat the flange and the nuts therein as they pass from the hopper means to the discharge chute.

4. In a hot material vending machine, a base having a discharge'opening, and a sight window; a movable compartment member in the base, hopper means to feed loose material into successive compartments, a top plate forthe base having an opening for feeding materials from the hopper into-the compartments and having an outer depending flange extending around the compartment member, the top plate and the flange thereof insulatingly enclosing the compartment member at the topand sides; and chute means to direct the material from the compartments to the discharge opening; and electrical lamp and heater means in the base to heat the compartments of the member and the material therein as insulated from the hopper means by the top plate and its flange, and to indicate through the sight window that the contents of the compartments are being heated.

5. A hot nut vending machine, comprising a hollow base, a material-containing transparent jar at the top of the base, a movable member within the base having a plurality of compartments, hopper means to feed material from the jar into each of the compartments, the bottom of the hopper being spaced except at the compartment feeding place from the movable compartment member, coin controlled means for rotating the member, a discharge chute extendmg from the member through the base, a sight opening in the base, an electric lamp and a heating element having a common connector in the base, the element heating the movable member, means comprising heat insulating blocks for separating and insulating the movable compartment member in the base from the hopper means and any material therein so that only the material in the compartments is heated substantially by the heating element, and the lamp being visible through the sight opening to direct attention to the machine and to indicate that the heating element is in operation.

6. In a vending machine, a hollow base, hopper means including a bottom plate secured to the top of the base, means comprising blocks insulating the plate against heatconduction from the base but having a feeding opening therethrough,

a movable compartment member in the base to receive loose material from the hopper through the opening in the plate, the bottom plate being spaced from the compartment member except around the opening where the material is fed from the hopper into each compartment, heating means in the base below the member to heat only it and material therein, means to move the member to discharge the contents ofsuccessive compartm nts, and discharge means leading from the member through the base.

7. In a vending machine, a hollow base, a hopper therefor comprising a plate at the top of the base, means spacing the plate from the base including a plurality of inwardly extending ribs upon which it is supported, heat insulating blocks disposed between the ribs and the top of the base, a rotary member in the base having compartments to receive loose material from the hopper plate and recessed at the underside, means to discharge material from the compartments through the base, and means in the base to heat themember in the recess thereof and the material in the compartments.

8. In a vending machine, a hollow base having an inwardly inclined portion at the top, and a hopper comprising a plate at the top of the base having an outer flange which conforms to the outer surface of the base below the inwardly inclined-top portion thereof, the hoppepplate h ng inwardly extending ribs-and insulatingmea 8 between the ribs, the top of. the base, and the stationary member. for spacing the outer flange of the hopper plate from the adjacent inwardly turned upper edge of the base member, leaving a space all around the base between it and'the flange of the hopper plate for the access'of air thereto-and intothe space betweenthe bottom of thehopper plate and the top of the stationary member.

9. In a vending machine, a hollow base, a hopper therefor comprising a plate at the top of the base, means extending through theplate and into the base for attaching the plate thereto, an inverted container jar having a flange supported upon the plate, the plate having an upwardly extending flange overlapping the flange of the jar for a portion only of the periphery of the jar, a rib extending outwardly from the plate opposite the saidrib thereon, a slotted clamping plate-fitting over the rib and-having a flange at its upper end to engage over the flange of-the jar, and locking means extending through the rib and against the slotted locking plate for holding it releasably in connectionwith the rib.

10. In a vending machine, a hollow base having aninwardly turned flange at the top with spaced recesses therein, astationary member to fit within the top of the base having outward proiections offset to fit below the flange of the base under t esaid recesses therein, a hopper comprising a base with supported ribs corresponding to the recesses, insulating blocks set upon the projections of the stationary member-and intothe recesses'of the top of the base for seating the hopper plate therein, and means clamping the stationary member and the hopper plate together,- gripping the flange of the base therebetween.

11. Ina vending machine, a hollow base having an inwardly turned flange atits top, a stationary member mounted within the base and en-, gaging the under side of the flange, a hopper comprising a plate having ribs for engaging the outer side of the base at the top thereof, a rotar member mounted at the under side of a stationary member and having a plurality of compartments at the edge thereof, the hopper plate and the stationary member having registering openings for feeding material from the hopper into the compartments, means for moving the rotating member step by step to bring each compartment successively under the hopper opening, and clamping means extending through the rotary member, the stationary member and the hopper plate for binding, them all together and engaging the base flange between the hopper plate and the stationary member.

12. In a vending machine, a hollow base having a flange at the top, a stationary member mounted within the base and engaging the under side of the flange, a hopper comprising a plate at the top of the base, a rotary compartment member mounted upon the stationary member at the under side thereof, a spring lock for engaging the rotary member comprising a bent wire having one extremity supported by the stationary member, an intermediate rounded portion to engage between the compartments of the rotary member, a spring connected to the other end of the wire, and a flat plate connected to the spring, and a fastening bolt extending through the flat plate, the stationary member and the hopper plate to fasten them all together withthe stationarymember and-the hopper plate disposed at opposite sides of the base flange for attaching the parts thereto.

13. In a vending machine having a hollow base and a rotary compartment member in the base; a coin receiver comprising a movable slide extending from the outside into the base, a coin compartment formed by a partition within the base and having a horizontal slot in one side thereof, and an arm attached to the coin slide and extending through the slot with a hook at the end of the arm adapted to engage the rotatable member for moving it one step for each coin inserted, the coin being discharged from the slide into the coin compartment.

14. In a vending machine having a hollow base, a rotatable hollow compartment member and ratchet teeth at the outer edge of the rotating member corresponding in number to the compartments; a coin receiving mechanism including a slide movable into and out of the base, a coin compartment comprising a partition within the base having a slot therein, and an arm attached to the inner end of the slide and extending through the slot with a hook at the extremity adapted to engage one of the ratchet teeth to rotate the member at each inward movement of the slide.

15. In a vending machine having a hollow base, and a movable compartment member at the top of the base; a coin receiver including a slide movable into and out of the base for actuating the compartment member, a coin compartment within the base comprising a partition having a slot therein, means connected to the slide extending through the slot to engage the compartment member for operating it, the coin compartment having a closure for the coin compartment, a lock for sealing the closure to the inside of the base, and a bottom closure plate for the base having a lock for securing it to the inside of the base, the lock of the coin compartment and the lock of the base being separate and distinct one from the other.

16. In a vending machine having a hollow base, a supply jar at the top of the base having means for clamping it to the base and separately looking it thereon from the outside of the base and .a rotatable compartment feeding member mounted in the base; a coin receiver having a slide movable into and out of the base, a, coin compartment comprising a partition having a slot therein, means secured to the slide inside of the coin compartment and extending through the slot to engage the rotary member for actuating it, a separate closure for the coin compartment having a lock for securing it to the inside of the base, and a bottom closure for the base having a lock for securing it to the base, whereby the hopper jar may be filled without disturbing the contents of the base and the interior of the base is accessible through the bottom plate without access to the coin compartment, the coin compartment being accessible only when the closure plate for the base is also removed.

17. In a vending machine, a. base having a bottom closure plate and a lock therefor, a coin compartment within the base havinng a closure and a separate lock therefor, a supply hopper including a hopper plate and a jar inverted at the top of the plate, locking means for separately securing the jar to the hopper plate, a hopper fed compartment and dispensing means rotatably mounted in the base, and a coin receiver including a slide movable into and out of the coin compartment for discharging coins thereinto, the compartment having a slot in one side and the coin slide having means extending through the slot for actuating the rotatable compartment means within the base.

ORMAN C. STOVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 449,749 Roovers Apr. 7, 1891 930,331 Davis Aug. 3, 1909 1,441,438 Leonhardt Jan. 9, 1923 1,701,869 Woods Feb. 12, 1929 1,750,456 Borm Mar. 11, 1930 1,967,114 Cutler July 17, 1934 2,201,655 .Srodulski May 21, 1940 2,252,101 Tveter Aug. 12, 1941 

